They Called Her Paperback Rose

A Hera Hunter Mystery

Fiction - Mystery - Murder
290 Pages
Reviewed on 08/16/2015
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Ellie DeFarr grew up in the surrounds of Pittsburgh, PA, playing in the forested foothills and wading through the streams that flow between them. She attended the University of Michigan, where she earned a Masters Degree in a scientific field so far removed from creative writing that it's mind boggling. After graduation she entered the demanding and fast-paced world of leading-edge technology. But this inauspicious start did not deter her from her love of the written word. She is delighted to be the author of the Hera Hunter Mysteries and is currently hard at work on the next book in the series. If you'd like to know more about her, visit her website, elliedefarr.com.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

They Called Her Paperback Rose: A Hera Hunter Mystery is a private sleuth novel written by Ellie DeFarr. Hera Hunter is a private investigator in Centreville. On her way to visit Bernie’s Market, she saw two teenaged girls fighting, with one girl obviously larger and more powerful than the other. Hera felt compelled to intervene. She offered the larger girl ten dollars to leave, which she quickly accepted. Hera tried to talk to the remaining girl who said her name was Calamity Jane. She accepted Hera's offer of a meal, and the two of them entered Bernie’s. Bernie, a widower, housed, fed and employed some of the homeless youth of Centreville, and Hera contributed funds to help him do that. While Jane left without the promised bowl of beef stew, she did manage to steal some baseball cards from the kid who was charged with getting her fed. When Hera followed her outside, she noticed a crowd gathered around the still form of a young girl. It was the girl she had given the ten dollars to. People were saying she jumped off a tenement roof to commit suicide, but her mother doesn't believe it. She's retained Hera to find out who killed her daughter.

Ellie DeFarr’s private investigator mystery, They Called Her Paperback Rose: A Hera Hunter Mystery, is hard-hitting and compelling. Hera is no stranger to the plight of the homeless children who call Centreville their home. She became one of them after her father shot and killed her mother, and she still has close friends and acquaintances from her times on the streets. This is not the first book in DeFarr’s Hera Hunter series, but she does include enough background information to allow this book to be read on its own. That being said, I’d strongly recommend that readers read these books in order. DeFarr builds a complex and believable character in her sniper turned private eye Hera, and Hera’s story is well worth following in its entirety. DeFarr’s mysteries are a welcome addition to the hard-boiled and crime noir genres, and They Called Her Paperback Rose continues that tradition. The plot is credible and original; the writing is smooth and fluid, and the story just sings, even if it is a somewhat dark tune -- but isn’t that usually the case with good crime noir? This newest Hera Hunter Mystery is highly recommended.

Trudi LoPreto

They Called Her Paperback Rose: A Hera Hunter Mystery by Ellie DeFarr is a top notch murder mystery. Private Eye Hera Hunter has taken on a case to prove if Paperback Rose committed suicide or was pushed from the roof of the tenement. It is a neighborhood with lots of boys and girls who have run away from their homes. All of them have learned the dangers lurking on every street corner and how to avoid them. Hera soon finds out there are evil people and bad things happening, and sets out to fix them with no thought to the perils she may face until she successfully solves the crime. Calamity Jane is one of the runaways she believes has the full knowledge of what really happened on the roof when Paperback Rose fell to her death. Hera does not rest until she finds the answers.

They Called Her Paperback Rose had suspenseful action from the first page until the very surprising final chapter. Ellie DeFarr has created likeable and real characters with PI Hera Hunter and her friends. I found myself holding my breath and worrying about Hera throughout the book, and wanting to see the bad guys get what they deserved. I am anxiously awaiting the next Hera Hunter Mystery. They Called Her Paperback Rose was 288 pages of good reading, and all mystery and/or murder story fans will enjoy it. Ellie DeFarr has written a well executed, exciting and believable book that is clearly deserving of a five star rating.

Lit Amri

When fifteen-year-old street girl Rita Stimson aka Paperback Rose falls to her death from a three-story tenement roof, PI Hera Hunter – who was once a runaway herself – is hired by the teen’s mother, Helen Stimson, to investigate. Police ruled the case as suicide, but Helen doesn’t think so and Hera agrees. There’s more to the case and another street girl who calls herself Calamity Jane insists that someone had pushed Rose. That is, if Calamity is telling the truth. Paperback Rose’s death is much more complicated than it seems, and there’s a shocking truth that has been going on in the town, one that Hera is about to discover.

They Called Her Paperback Rose (A Hera Hunter Mystery) is a sleuth novel by Ellie DeFarr. With DeFarr’s clear-cut prose, this PI novel is a breezy and engaging read. The tone of the novel is neither dark nor light; it hits the middle ground which would satisfy most readers. The narrative has a subtle noir-esque vibe that complements this sleuth novel well. Characterization is solid from start to finish; every character gives me a strong sense of their personalities and complexities, making them vivid and alive.

Hera is a tough female PI, yet vulnerable at the same time. Lucky, Hera’s small dog, is quite an adorable addition to the story, despite how Hera acquired him in the first place. There are real social issues included here regarding homeless kids, the foster care system and corrupt political figures, giving the plot significant depth. Overall, an entertaining read.